It's Monday of Holy Week, and throughout the week we'll walk through the events that lead up to Jesus' death on the cross. To get to the cross people had to look at Jesus and ignore his life. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and the crowds had welcomed Jesus as the "Savior"...their Savior. The problem was that they were out for their own interest and had no desire to embrace God's purposes - that Jesus' death would be for the whole world.
As the week went along Jesus had various interactions - but on Thursday evening he celebrated Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room. He left that room with them to walk through the Temple area and head to the hillside outside of Jerusalem to a garden called Gethsemane. There he is arrested as Judas leads the guards to the place he knows Jesus will be. They bound Jesus, the others all scattered, and they led him through the same gate and then taken to the Palace of Annas...the real head behind the Jewish leaders. Here Jesus stands for his first trial - and in the background hovers Peter.
John 18:12-27 (NIV)
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard,
16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
23 "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
24 Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"
27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Annas represents the worst in religion. Cunning, political, without convictions except to gain wealth and power through his religion, he was probably first to see Jesus if for no other reason than to find out who this guy was that so boldly entered the Temple and overturned the money booths that made him lots of money. He despised Jesus because Jesus dared to stand up to his authority - a false authority based on intimidation and a "gang-like" rule in Jerusalem. To say that he DENIED that Jesus was the Son of God was an understatement. He didn't just deny, he despised, but in the end, it was just the beginning...he sent him to his son-in-law, the High Priest, Caiaphas.
Yet John does not let the story of Jesus' arrest just emphasize the religious authorities denial. He includes Peter's story, if for no other reason than to say that "everyone" denied Jesus in the end. Peter and possibly John (the other disciple) followed, and once it was possible to enter the courtyard, they entered to see what they could do. What were they thinking? It's hard to know...perhaps Peter was looking for a way to get Jesus' free? Perhaps he thought they would harass Jesus and then let him go. We don't know. What we do know is that a rooster crowed.
A rooster crowed... Jesus had told Peter that he expected that Peter would deny him and the rooster crowing would occur: John 13:38 (NIV)
Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
As the week went along Jesus had various interactions - but on Thursday evening he celebrated Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room. He left that room with them to walk through the Temple area and head to the hillside outside of Jerusalem to a garden called Gethsemane. There he is arrested as Judas leads the guards to the place he knows Jesus will be. They bound Jesus, the others all scattered, and they led him through the same gate and then taken to the Palace of Annas...the real head behind the Jewish leaders. Here Jesus stands for his first trial - and in the background hovers Peter.
John 18:12-27 (NIV)
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard,
16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
23 "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
24 Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"
27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Annas represents the worst in religion. Cunning, political, without convictions except to gain wealth and power through his religion, he was probably first to see Jesus if for no other reason than to find out who this guy was that so boldly entered the Temple and overturned the money booths that made him lots of money. He despised Jesus because Jesus dared to stand up to his authority - a false authority based on intimidation and a "gang-like" rule in Jerusalem. To say that he DENIED that Jesus was the Son of God was an understatement. He didn't just deny, he despised, but in the end, it was just the beginning...he sent him to his son-in-law, the High Priest, Caiaphas.
Yet John does not let the story of Jesus' arrest just emphasize the religious authorities denial. He includes Peter's story, if for no other reason than to say that "everyone" denied Jesus in the end. Peter and possibly John (the other disciple) followed, and once it was possible to enter the courtyard, they entered to see what they could do. What were they thinking? It's hard to know...perhaps Peter was looking for a way to get Jesus' free? Perhaps he thought they would harass Jesus and then let him go. We don't know. What we do know is that a rooster crowed.
A rooster crowed... Jesus had told Peter that he expected that Peter would deny him and the rooster crowing would occur: John 13:38 (NIV)
Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Peter's denial is what it is. Matthew says he began to "curse and swear" (Matt. 26:74).
The Rooster crowed and Peter knew that Jesus' words were true.
The Rooster crowed and Peter understood that Jesus was in charge.
The Rooster crowed and Peter's self-understanding came unraveled.
He was not the person he thought he would be...he was just another person who would "deny" Jesus.
He was not the person he thought he would be...he was just another person who would "deny" Jesus.
BUT...the Rooster crowed NOT to make him guilty; but to invite Peter along with all of us to the work of the cross. Peter too needed repentance, faith in Christ's work to redeem him too.
On our good days we are bold like Peter in the Upper Room... "Lord, I will follow you to the ends of the earth."
On many of those other real days we are just like Peter...standing at a fire, warming ourselves at a distant, and when the comments are made, we laugh, or curse, or simply remain quiet and passive, denying the Christ who died for our own sins.
We too must hear the Rooster Crow.
Peace
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